Dry weather increases the risk of fire

Bargersville, Indiana – Due to the ongoing dry spell in the southern half of the state, 26 out of the 92 counties in Indiana were under burn bans as of Thursday.

However, burn bans might go north.

Michael Pruitt, the deputy fire chief for Bargersville, stated on Thursday that wind and dry weather can cause fires to spread quickly across an open field. “There have been a few field fires across the county as well as a few smaller fires on the roads, which are caused by people tossing out their cigarettes.”

In addition to cigarettes, uncontrolled leaf burns have also resulted in brush fires in suburban and rural areas, particularly when the individuals doing the burning were careless.

“Most of the time, people don’t follow the local burn regulations, whether they are state-level regulations or in their local community, and they get themselves in trouble because they don’t follow procedure, because they don’t do it safely, and it spreads, and they end up catching their neighbor’s property on fire,” Pruitt said.

The fire department’s deputy chief reported that there have been no significant fires in his region, which includes portions of west-central Johnson County to the south of Indianapolis. But his organization is on high alert due to the protracted dry climate, which has made combating even little fires exceedingly challenging.

“We’ve had farm implements this year catch on fire in the field and that’s spreads rapidly, not only in the machinery, but into the field.”

People who live in areas without burn bans, Pruitt recommended, should hold off on open burning until the fire threat passes. “As dry as it is right now, we need some substantial precipitation to take that threat away.”

As cold weather arrives this weekend, Pruitt recommended people clean out chimneys and check on heaters to ensure they are clear of dust or debris that could start house fires.